Could you tell us something about yourself?
My name is Vincent and I am a senior year student in Applied Economics and Financial Engineering at Paris-Dauphine University. I am of mixed background, my father is Lebanese and my mother is Italian. However, I have lived for most of my life in Marseilles in France. I have a scientific baccalaureate with first-class honors from LyceeLacordaire Marseille.
What prompted you to apply for masters after a bachelor degree from Paris Dauphine University?
Paris-Dauphine University is indeed a very renowned school in France and with a Bachelor’s degree from here, it would have been very easy to get a job either in a financial institution or consulting. However, I felt that my classes were very theoretical and even though the curriculum is very demanding I wanted to gain more international experience and perspective. I believe a Master’s degree will be very helpful for me to gain what I seek.
What program have you applied to and why have you picked INSEAD?
I was accepted to both INSEAD and LBS but I chose INSEAD MIM for multiple reasons. First of all, I believe that the INSEAD brand is much stronger than the LBS brand. INSEAD has always been my first choice and I did not hesitate to choose INSEAD when I got the opportunity to do so. In addition to that, I was also impressed by the format of the program which allows for a semester in Fontainebleau and another semester in Singapore which is something that LBS cannot give me. Also, the MIM being offered by INSEAD is a new course for the school which is mainly known for its MBA program. At 20 years old, I will probably be among the youngest students on campus and I look forward to making the most of my time at INSEAD, learning from adults and networking with the best of the business world.
What are your career goals?
Post my masters, I seek a challenging strategic and analytical role within an established financial institution (Bank of America Merrill Lynch/ Barclays Capital/ Citi/ Credit Suisse/ Deutsche Bank/ Goldman Sachs/ J.P. Morgan/ Morgan Stanley/ UBS), which can provide me with a platform to make a difference. I intend to work in an investment bank within the financial industry in Asia. I am specifically targeting the ASEAN countries of Hong-Kong and Singapore. The reason for my choice is that both these countries are locked in a battle to become the financial superpower of Asia and boost the highest penetration of investment banks and asset management. It is my preference to work in Mergers and acquisitions (MA) advisory and help corporations and institutions in acquisitions of businesses. MA is a key function in Investment Banking. This profile would enable me to build an extensive network. I would learn to manage the relationship with existing clients, meet with prospective clients to win new business and negotiate on the client’s behalf. I strive to grow up the corporate ladder within the field starting as an Associate and aiming to reach the position of MD. In the long term, I would like to graduate to PE and create a fund in Europe - managing a portfolio of more than a hundred million euros.
What was the most difficult part of the process?
Strangely enough, being more into maths and financial engineering, I thought the GMAT would not pose as much of a problem for me as the application process, which entails a lot of writing. However, I enjoyed the time that I spent on my application and my resume, introspecting on my life so far. I believe that my interviews were fine and the schools were happy with the ideas and the message that I communicated.
Strangely enough, even though my English is excellent and so is my math, I took quite some time to get a good score in the GMAT. It took me three months to tackle the GMAT. It took me some time to get used to the format and it turned out to be the most cumbersome part of the process.
What advice would you give other applicants?
First of all, I would recommend that students apply early especially when you are a senior year student as the last year is usually very demanding and you need to find a summer internship or have an exchange program to be a part of. You also need to be organized for the year after. I was lucky enough that I spent my summer working on my application and GMAT and was able to apply in the fall and had received an answer from all the programs by Christmas. This made my life easier and gave me enough time to focus on my exchange program, internship and final exams.
I also advise that you make a deep and thorough research on the program you intend to apply to. Understand that rankings are not the only things that matter. For instance, I chose the INSEAD MIM even though it will not be ranked until 2025, over the MIM at LBS which is ranked as one of the best simply because I feel that INSEAD is the better school for me.Â
Finally, I would suggest that you take the help of professionals. I would like to thank both Reussir le GMAT and Dr Hubert Silly for the tremendous patience and support they provided me with through the entire process.